DRIVEN BY GAMING
Expanded Uses for AI Companions Began with Games
As word of their capabilities spread, AI companions are increasingly being developed for other uses — AI tutors, personal health assistants and more. They’re certainly opening new growth opportunities: a 2023 report by the research firm IDC reports $3.50 in returns on every dollar invested in new AI technology.
The technology is rooted in gaming, where it continues to evolve. One of the first games to feature AI was “Spacewar!,” written for a newly installed MIT minicomputer. More than 60 years later, AI companions are upending and enriching the gaming experience. These days, NPCs can serve as travel buddies and help players find and make friends. They can connect players with other players and characters in the virtual world and act on conversations.
There are RTS games in which conversational NPCs play prominent roles. And in combat games such as Dragon’s Dogma II and Divinity: Original Sin II, companions can do their own thing. In fact, some find these intelligent characters as useful as an additional player — sometimes even more so.
Ai Convai, we aim to lead the way, breathing life into NPCs and enabling them to have human-like conversations with users, perceive their virtual surroundings, and perform different types of actions.
“SECOND LIFE” COMPANIONS SHOW HOW IT’S DONE
Get to Know What Covai Bots Can Do
We’re reducing the learning curve for new users with the companions in Second Life, a 3D virtual world and original metaverse. These AI bots can not only talk to you, be your companion, and take you to places, but they can perceive the environment and carry out actions. Through our “knowledge bank,” they can possess all manner of information including frequently asked questions, regional insights, and more. The bank can also help to mitigate the hallucination of information that bedevils the best large language models.
Additionally, Convai also offers a narrative design feature in which scene changes are prompted by speech cues from NPCs– read more about it in our blog about Convai’s narrative design. What’s more, our scene-aware “greeter bots” can interact with objects as well as with other characters, even in another language — and in context. A French-speaking AI companion, for example, wouldn’t mention Central Park to a player.
BEYOND GAMES
Healthcare and Other Uses for AI Companions
Let’s look at how developers can use our API and plug-ins to create helpful and compelling AI companions across disparate, non-gaming industries. In healthcare, for example, these companions can act as personal health assistants, offering appointment reminders and 24/7 diagnostic support, answering frequently asked questions, and scheduling doctor visits.
One mobile app developer is using our technology to craft virtual characters that serve as health advisors. While these characters aren’t designed to dispense medical advice, they can engage in real-time conversations in both Arabic and English through the use of Convai’s multilingual feature.
For example, this “wellness companion” can help offer tips for maintaining a balanced diet, encourage regular exercise, provide mindfulness exercises to reduce stress, and more. In answer to a real-life question, the character offered suggestions for remaining healthy during Ramadan.
As it is, AI-powered virtual assistants are revolutionizing healthcare. Between 2019 and 2029, medical virtual assistant market revenue is expected to reach a compound annual growth rate of 26.29%, according to a Global Virtual Assistants in the Healthcare Market report.
It’s no wonder, as Convai-enabled bots can easily and quickly handle simple tasks, freeing medical professionals for more complex responsibilities.
For clinicians, this can mean accommodating a larger patient load, integrating more complex workflows, or managing a more expansive data volume. According to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025, AI-provided scalability in healthcare is integral to global health advancement.
Bots can also answer common queries such as, “How should I care for my condition?” or “What paperwork is necessary for my treatment?” Further, hospital virtual assistants can collect, store, and retrieve patient data such as addresses, symptoms, treatments, and healthcare insurance. They can also handle payment-related queries and help manage patient intake.
AI Tutors
In addition, our AI companions can serve as customized, always-available AI tutors, merging technology’s scalability and data-processing capacities with the personal touch of human tutors. AI tutors personalize learning materials to suit each student’s learning style, pace, and preferences. They also employ adaptive learning strategies that continuously assess student responses, engagement levels, and overall performance, resulting in improved learning outcomes and more accessible and inclusive education.
Companions as Trainers
In another “learning” application, AI-guided training apps can be used in a broad range of areas. Our avatars can provide hands-on training to factory workers, for instance, and help people learn in virtual environments. In turn, the technology can improve outcomes and training efficiency.
Brand Agent Companions
AI companions can also be brand agents who demonstrate product features in real-world settings, including in stores and on websites. Our conversational assistants can provide recommendations and steer customers to products. They can also provide real-time product info, answer customer queries, and use customer preferences and information to create a bespoke shopping experience.
For example, Convai-powered AI characters demonstrated Amdocs’ new features at the 2024 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. While such AI brand ambassadors possess AI guardrails and strong product knowledge, they can also have open-ended conversations about any topic.
AI Kiosks and Onboarding
Our companions can be used for screens on kiosks at airports and historical sites alike. These characters can also help with onboarding, creating a customized, engaging experience that promotes an immediate sense of belonging. New hires can also use the technology to interact with colleagues’ avatars and poke around their new work environment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the journey of AI companions from their inception in gaming to their diverse applications across industries signifies a remarkable fusion of technology and human interaction. Originally conceived as virtual allies in gaming worlds, AI companions have evolved into indispensable tools for enhancing various aspects of our lives.
Check out our YouTube channel to understand more about how Convai can help you create your own AI companions. Also, be on the lookout for feature updates, product tutorials, and more. Or, read our blogs to learn more about Convai.
